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THE COUNTRYMAN.
fTR.YWOLD, GA., FEBRUARY 28, 1865.
(From the Temperance Banner.)
letters on Temperance.
NO. I.—INTRODUCTION.
Mr. Editor—In my wanderings to, and
fro, over the earth, I very often see, and
hear things which relate to the great
cause, in which you and I are enlisted,
which, if they could be brought to bear
upon that cause, in a proper manner,
would greatly aid the grand enterprise in
which we are engaged. If you will do
mo the honor to let me have a corner in
your paper, my grey goosequill will be
proud to do battle against the tyrant Al
cohol, though it may only serve as a
plume to decorate the helmet of some war
rior in the ranks of the cold water army.
In some of the wars in which our colonies
were engaged, an Indian chief came to
one of our officers, and told him that he
was ready to fight for his white brethren,
if he would let him fight in his own way.
He was not used to regular fighting, and
he could not fight, if he was confined to
one position in the army. “But,” says
he, “show me the enemy, and let me fight
in diy own way, and you shall have no
reason to complain of the valor of your
red brother.” Now, Mr. Editor, if you let
me fight at all, let me fight in my own
way—do not confine me to any particular
position in the army, but let me grapple
with the enemy, whenever and wherever
I can find him. If I can waylay him, at
midnight, when he is operating, and thinks
no one can see him, let me out upon him,
and tomahawk him, if I can. If I can
come upon him while feasting, and revel
ing at the board of luxury and fashion,
let me use my scalping knife. If I see
him attended by youth and beauty, think
ing himself securely guarded by the smiles
Of those fair damsels whom I so much
reverence, let my arrow, dipped in gall,
speed from my sturdy bow, and pierce his
vitals. If I see him, clothed in sheep’s
clothing, ascend the pedestals of the
church of Jesus, and even enter the door
of the sanctum sanctorum, thinking that
his dress will disguise him, and that the
sacredness of the place on which he stands
will save him from the assaults of our sol
diery, let me tear off his mantle, and show
his character in its true light: let me
force his hold off from the horns of the al
tar, and deliver him up to have his brains
battered by the club of Temperance. Do
not revolt at this mode of warfare. Rec
ollect how cruel the tyrant has always
been. Recollect that no fate is too bad
for him. We must all cry aloud, and
spare not. We must not let our feelings
of humanity get the better part of us, and
subject us to the curse of Him, who has
deputized us to tear down, and uproot the
enemy’s kingdom, whatever be the means,
and whatever the cost. Let us recollect
the fate of Saul, when he spared Agag,
king of the Amalekites ; and let us say
unto Alcohol as Samuel said unto Agag ;
“As thy sword hath made women child-
Ic«s, so shall thy mother be childless
among women.” Let us rather say, so
shall thy father be childless ; for the devil
! is supposed to be of the masculine gender,
and he is undoubtedly the parent of alco
hol, and the grand-parent of rumsellers.
Then, I propose to address you a letter,
occasionally, to appear in the Banner,
with your consent. I do not propose to
discuss the subject of temperance in a reg
ular, or systematic manner, but to pre
sent, in a plain, epistolary style, such
facts as come under my observation, and
to use such arguments, in such a manner,
as I hope may do some good, however lit
tle. If I can succeed in advancing, one
iota, the great ball of temperance, which
has already received such an impetus as
will enable us, it we but do our duty, to
roll it on, and ever onward, until it shall
have crushed one of the petty kingdoms
of the prince of darkness, I shall feel am
ply compensated for the labor it may have
cost, in the firm conviction that I shall
have lent a helping hand in breaking
down one of the principal barriers which
oppose the mild reign of king Immanuel.
Yours truly, Orion.
January 21st, 1846.
An Eloquent Tribute to Geor
gia.—“A few days ago, Senator Hill,
of Georgia, pronounced the following
eloquent, thrilling, and truthful eulo
gy upon the Empiie State, defining
her position, in this crisis:
Of late, frequent allusion has been
made to Georgia, in this hall, and
out of it, and he had been asked,
‘What’s the matter with Georgia ?
Is she going to forsake us, and make
teims with the enemy?’ As one of
her sons, he answered, no, never !
She will never be faithless to any
pledge she has made, nor to any com
pact into which she has entered.
When she. dissolved her connection
with those who had been faithless to
a common, and long-honored cove«»
nant, she sent a special commissioner
to Virginia, explained her reasons for
that action, and asked the glorious
old mother of commonwealths to
link her destinies with her. Never
could be forget, never could any Geor
gian forget, how promptly Virginia
acted, and thus bared hei bosom to
the wrath of the enemy. The gal
lant state of North Carolina, and the
other border states, soon followed the
example of Virginia. Sir (said he)
no Viiginian, no Confederate, ever
aska if Georgia, or any other of the
original seven will be faithless to the
compact thus so solemnly made, at
their instance. Georgia has suffered,
is suffering sorely in this war.
Her soil has been invaded, her tem
ples desecrated, her comfortable
homes burned, her song have been bu
ried, but infidelity to her sisters in
toil, and blood, is a word that shall
never be truthfully written, or spoken
as one in the lists of her sufferings,
and wrongs. Let the foe, now hold
ing her seaboard city, look upon the
monument to Pulaski, which lifts its
high column in the very midst of that
city, and even they must know that
the state which erected it, can never
be false in this struggle for liberty.
(Applause.) No, sir, no ! her people
may keenly feel the oppressions
which faithless subordinate officers of
our government may heap upon them;
the enemy may cross and recross her
borders, carrying material fuiii in his
path, but neither faithless friend, nor
cruel foe can ever destroy, or tarnish
the honor* of this true old slate.
Proud, like the eagle, with her plumbs
in the sun, Georgia will ever move far
above all the storms of faction Chart
would assail her, and all the ichemeS
of ambition that would mislead her.
And I (said Mr. H.) the humblest '
of her citizens, commissioned by her
to stand iu this high place, today, re
membering that iu her bosom are re
posing the ashes of those who gave
me being, when, tired and weary, I
shall fall in her service, I speak the
prayer of hei son* and daughters, to
day, when I say, withered be the arm
that strikes her, cur*ed be the tongue
that maligns her, hated be the foe
that invades her ; but withered, thrice
withered, thrice cursed, thrice hated
forever, be the son that would betray
her ! No, sir, no ! her houses may
be burned, but they can be built
again ; her fields may be desolated, ’
but they will bloom, and besfr again ; ;
her children may be scattered, but
they will be gathered again ; her
young men may all perish in her de
fence ; but she will rear other gener
ations to revere their memories ; but
that honor which, once lost, can never
be recovered ; that honor which, once'
tarnished, can never be brightened
again, Georgia will never, never sur
render. Courage, is her greeting to
her sisters, today ; with the smoke
from her burning houses, her vows
for freedom are, even now, ascending
afresh, and firm as her own mountain
rocks ; and rich as her valley soil is
her purpose to be faithful to you, and
the reward which that fidelity shall
bring us all.”
Washinton, Jan. 21.—“A force
of eight hundred men are on the eve
of leaving Annapolis for Savannah,
to be employed in repairing the rail
roads conneting with that city.”
“No reliable developemeuts, in rela
tion to Blair’s mission, but it is sup
posed reunion will be proposed, ou
such terms as the confederate author
ities may submit.”